Chapter 258 Love Strategist Little Bowl 2
Although I don't know if it counts, I still told No. 2 Xiaowan about how I grabbed Ma Zao's hand last time and she tried to pull away.
Ma used to sleep in the same bed with me, and even hold me while I slept. I don't know if I'll ever have that chance again. Thinking about this, I can't help but feel a little regretful.
“I think she was just shy…” Little Bowl No. 2’s attitude relaxed a little. “Is there anything else? Has she ever shown you any disgust? Asaha-neechan is not good at lying. If you observe carefully, you will definitely be able to tell.”
"No. But I don't think that proves anything."
For example, I consider Chang'an a friend and am willing to risk my life to save him when he's in mortal danger, but that doesn't mean I agree with everything about him. I've always disapproved of his frequenting nightclubs and thought he shouldn't continue associating with those shady friends. Sometimes I'll even pretend I don't know him in front of strangers.
However, even if he doesn't change these things, it doesn't stop me from continuing to consider him a very important friend. This is what is meant by seeking common ground while reserving differences.
Mazao probably already considers me a very important person, a friend and partner. Over time, I might even occupy a position in her heart similar to family. However, this doesn't mean I can actually become her boyfriend. If she thinks I'm a pervert who likes young girls, she might exclude me from her romantic prospects.
But I have deeper ambitions. I plan to get straight to the point afterward and ask Asaho for her opinion on me. But before that, I plan to ask Little Bowl Number Two for her thoughts.
Furthermore, if it really doesn't work out, I won't force it. For me, the most important thing is to express my true feelings. Although No. 2 Xiaowan and Zhu Shi describe me as a man with heavy emotions and a somber mood, I've never considered myself the kind of clingy, infatuated man or woman.
If failure awaits me at the end of my all-out effort, then I will convince myself to swallow this bitter pill with equanimity.
As long as Ma Zao doesn't leave me, I'll be content, I guess.
Hearing what I said, Little Bowl Number Two became excited: "How can this be? Mr. Number Three, you must win over Sister Mazao!"
"Huh?" I was startled by her. "Speaking of which, I've been feeling a bit strange since earlier. You don't seem to mind me pursuing Mazao..."
“Because Mr. Number Three, you are indeed the most ideal candidate I know,” she said, “although it’s a bit perverse…”
Did you say anything?
"In short, Mr. Number Three, it's great that you consulted me first. Being frank is your greatest weapon, and also your greatest weakness. Although I think you've probably already won over Asahi-neechan, I haven't seen it with my own eyes, and according to you, there might still be some suspense. Rushing in and blurting it out might ruin everything." She said in a deep voice, "Let me, Xiaowan, be your love strategist and offer you advice!"
"military adviser……"
For some reason, I thought of Zhu Shi and continued, "So, you should be my second strategist."
"—I'm the second one?" Number Two's expression changed immediately. "Mr. Number Three, did you consult anyone else for you?... Girls other than me?"
I gave her a brief introduction of Zhu Shi, but she seemed a little confused, muttering to herself, "Zhu Shi? That name sounds familiar... Never mind, the most important thing is that she's a formidable opponent, and I must help Sister Ma Zao eliminate her..."
Zhu Shi has no romantic relationships, but that's her privacy, and I couldn't explain it to Xiao Wan No. 2, so I just said, "I won't date Zhu Shi, you can rest assured."
"But Zhu Shi and Mr. Number Three are about the same age as you, and they're quite good-looking, aren't they?" Number Two Little Bowl seemed to still be thinking about it.
"Speaking of age, I have a question that really bothers me... How old are you and Asahi exactly now?" I tried to change the subject. "According to Asahi, in order to maintain your physical growth, you must eat normally, but you can't always find food, right?"
She paused slightly, seemingly a little confused.
"...As for how long we wandered, Mazao and I did... Just as you, Mr. Number Three, predicted, relying solely on the power of return to replenish our food supply isn't enough for our bodies to grow. And most of the time we couldn't get any food, so our bodies never really grew," she said. "As for exactly how long we wandered, we don't know. Because there's no sunrise or sunset, we can't count the days. We also don't have any timekeeping devices, and we lived a life far removed from human habitation."
"Moreover, after the apocalypse, the flow of time in different areas is extremely inconsistent. Perhaps even time itself has been corrupted by madness and gone insane. Even if you happen to encounter other survivors or small settlements with timekeeping devices, you don't know if the time you've passed is the same as theirs."
“Not only is the objective flow of time distorted, but even our subjective perception of time is confused. Perhaps Mazao and I have been wandering for many years, or perhaps we have only been wandering for a few months... We can’t tell.”
Whenever I receive new information about the apocalypse, the image of the apocalypse in my mind becomes increasingly chaotic.
If the normal world has clear-cut rules of black and white, then the world after the apocalypse is gray. Just like this illusory realm, it is filled with a disorienting gray mist. Consciousness is chaotic, time is chaotic, and according to information heard before, space itself seems to be in a state of chaos, with bizarre phenomena that defy the laws of physics raging everywhere.
Even the existence of celestial bodies like the moon varies from person to person; some people can see it, while others cannot. Even someone like Asaho, who should be able to see it, cannot see it for some reason.
"Mr. Number Three, do you not want Mazao-neechan to grow up?" Little Bowl Number Two suddenly asked.
I said honestly, "It's certainly a good thing that she can grow up, but... I guess I do wish she could stay the same."
"Asahina-neechan has the power to revert back to her original form, even if she grows up, she can turn back at any time," she whispered like a little devil.
I pretended not to hear and said, "If there's nothing else, let's go back first."
She thought for a moment, then nodded, and followed me back.
When we returned to the area of the rock seats, two more figures were present. Judging from their size, they were likely Number One and Number Five. Both were facing the Lord of the Divine Seal, who was meditating with his eyes closed.
Number One heard our footsteps, turned around and looked over, then focused his gaze on me.
"—Number Three?" His voice was unusually wary.
Number Five seemed to snap out of a daze, looking at me with surprise and wariness.
Last time, the Lord of the Divine Seal revealed my identity as an intruder from the Void Realm in front of everyone. Now, from the perspective of these two people, I am probably the embodiment of the unknown and danger.
Number One looked at my side again and asked, "Number Two, are you with him now?"
“Yes, Mr. Number One. I am Mr. Number Three’s partner,” Little Bowl Number Two said without hesitation and with unequivocal conviction.
"Do you really understand what you're doing? This person... it's hard to even say if he's human," Number One said.
Bowl number two reiterated: "I am Mr. Three's partner."
"……Yeah."
Number One sized us up for a while, then slowly looked away and turned to Number Five.
Number Five hesitated for a moment, but ultimately didn't speak to me. He turned back to look at the Lord of the Divine Seal. He seemed to be considering something. I noticed he was tightly clutching something in his hand. Upon closer inspection, it was a fragment of the Divine Seal.
Was Number Five hesitating about whether to make a deal with the Lord of the Divine Seals? But if I remember correctly, according to the Lord of the Divine Seals' rules, the first Divine Seal fragment bound to oneself cannot be used for trading. Could it be that Number Five has already obtained a second Divine Seal fragment in just over a week?
Seeing this, I sensed the two Divine Seal fragments I possessed. In the real world, I could freely summon these two Divine Seal fragments, but in this virtual realm, I felt unable to summon the first Divine Seal fragment bound to me, while the second Divine Seal fragment, which I recently obtained by killing Dr. Silver Mask, was in a summonable state.
Since Number Five was able to summon the Divine Seal Fragment here, it means that he has indeed collected the second Divine Seal Fragment in the real world.
After realizing this, I couldn't help but look at Number Five with new respect. In this virtual realm, apart from myself, Number One was the first to enter the virtual realm, Number Two, Little Bowl, was in the apocalyptic era, Number Four, Xuanming, and Number Six were both Great Impermanence, Number Seven was the most mysterious person, but when it came to Number Five, he gave people a very ordinary feeling, and he was often startled.
It is remarkable that such a person could achieve such success in just over a week.
In contrast, Number One doesn't seem to have gained anything during this period. Last time, he was the most persistent about the "wish-granting opportunity" offered by the Lord of the Divine Seal. Such a person would not let go of the opportunity to trade, or rather, the opportunity to "gain the knowledge to fulfill his wish".
I actually have some guesses about Number One's true identity.
Number One's wish is to "resurrect the dead," and that dead person died to save him, while also harboring intense hatred for Ying Lingyun. Furthermore, as a chosen one of the Void Realm, he must have some connection to the fragments of the Divine Seal.
In my memory, there is only one person who meets all these conditions: the special successful case of the Humanitarian Department's Twelve Gods Project, the Great Impermanence Qualifier "Dog" whose whereabouts are still unknown.
(End of this chapter)
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